Uncovering Human Tooth Marks in the Search for Dog Domestication: The Case of Coímbre Cave
The domestication of the dog (<i>Canis lupus familiaris</i>) is one of the oldest and most complex processes of interaction between humans and animals. This phenomenon may have begun sometime between 30 and 15 ky calBP. Archaeological and genetic studies have provided valuable insights i...
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2025-05-01
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| author | Idoia Claver Verónica Estaca María de Andrés-Herrero Darío Herranz-Rodrigo David Álvarez-Alonso José Yravedra |
| author_facet | Idoia Claver Verónica Estaca María de Andrés-Herrero Darío Herranz-Rodrigo David Álvarez-Alonso José Yravedra |
| author_sort | Idoia Claver |
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| description | The domestication of the dog (<i>Canis lupus familiaris</i>) is one of the oldest and most complex processes of interaction between humans and animals. This phenomenon may have begun sometime between 30 and 15 ky calBP. Archaeological and genetic studies have provided valuable insights into dog domestication, although the precise geographic location and origin of this process remain controversial and under debate. New methodologies, such as taphonomic analyses, offer opportunities to deepen our understanding of past human–dog interactions. In this context, the present study examines tooth marks found on some bone remains from the Upper Magdalenian site (15,500–13,200 cal BP) of Coímbre Cave (Peñamellera Alta, Asturias, Spain). The low incidence of carnivores at the site has raised the possibility that the tooth marks may have been produced by canids. However, a detailed taphonomic analysis combining geometric morphometrics with robust statistical methods—including MANOVA with post-hoc permutation tests—revealed that the marks identified at the site do not significantly differ from tooth marks produced by humans (<i>p</i> = 0.086). In contrast, tooth marks produced by other carnivores, such as <i>Canis lupus signatus</i> and <i>Canis lupus familiaris</i>, showed significant differences (<i>p</i> < 0.003). Although our study could not confirm the presence of domesticated dogs at the Magdalenian levels of Coímbre Cave, it has documented taphonomic processes that are rarely identified in the archaeological record. Furthermore, this study highlights the potential of tooth mark analysis as a key tool for future research on human–animal interactions in archaeological contexts. |
| format | Article |
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| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
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| series | Animals |
| spelling | doaj-art-ea5c2de6f4b24775b0716820bf1aa22b2025-08-20T02:24:43ZengMDPI AGAnimals2076-26152025-05-01159131910.3390/ani15091319Uncovering Human Tooth Marks in the Search for Dog Domestication: The Case of Coímbre CaveIdoia Claver0Verónica Estaca1María de Andrés-Herrero2Darío Herranz-Rodrigo3David Álvarez-Alonso4José Yravedra5Department of Geodynamics, Stratigraphy and Palaeontology, Faculty of Geological Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria, Edificio B, Calle Profesor Aranguren, 28040 Madrid, SpainDepartment of Prehistory, Ancient History and Archaeology, Faculty of Geography and History, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria, Edificio B, Calle Profesor Aranguren, 28040 Madrid, SpainDepartment of Prehistory, Ancient History and Archaeology, Faculty of Geography and History, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria, Edificio B, Calle Profesor Aranguren, 28040 Madrid, SpainDepartment of Prehistory and Archaeology, Faculty of Philosophy and Letters, University of Granada, 18071 Granada, SpainDepartment of Prehistory, Ancient History and Archaeology, Faculty of Geography and History, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria, Edificio B, Calle Profesor Aranguren, 28040 Madrid, SpainDepartment of Prehistory, Ancient History and Archaeology, Faculty of Geography and History, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria, Edificio B, Calle Profesor Aranguren, 28040 Madrid, SpainThe domestication of the dog (<i>Canis lupus familiaris</i>) is one of the oldest and most complex processes of interaction between humans and animals. This phenomenon may have begun sometime between 30 and 15 ky calBP. Archaeological and genetic studies have provided valuable insights into dog domestication, although the precise geographic location and origin of this process remain controversial and under debate. New methodologies, such as taphonomic analyses, offer opportunities to deepen our understanding of past human–dog interactions. In this context, the present study examines tooth marks found on some bone remains from the Upper Magdalenian site (15,500–13,200 cal BP) of Coímbre Cave (Peñamellera Alta, Asturias, Spain). The low incidence of carnivores at the site has raised the possibility that the tooth marks may have been produced by canids. However, a detailed taphonomic analysis combining geometric morphometrics with robust statistical methods—including MANOVA with post-hoc permutation tests—revealed that the marks identified at the site do not significantly differ from tooth marks produced by humans (<i>p</i> = 0.086). In contrast, tooth marks produced by other carnivores, such as <i>Canis lupus signatus</i> and <i>Canis lupus familiaris</i>, showed significant differences (<i>p</i> < 0.003). Although our study could not confirm the presence of domesticated dogs at the Magdalenian levels of Coímbre Cave, it has documented taphonomic processes that are rarely identified in the archaeological record. Furthermore, this study highlights the potential of tooth mark analysis as a key tool for future research on human–animal interactions in archaeological contexts.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/15/9/1319taphonomyhuman tooth marksMagdaleniangeometric morphometrics |
| spellingShingle | Idoia Claver Verónica Estaca María de Andrés-Herrero Darío Herranz-Rodrigo David Álvarez-Alonso José Yravedra Uncovering Human Tooth Marks in the Search for Dog Domestication: The Case of Coímbre Cave Animals taphonomy human tooth marks Magdalenian geometric morphometrics |
| title | Uncovering Human Tooth Marks in the Search for Dog Domestication: The Case of Coímbre Cave |
| title_full | Uncovering Human Tooth Marks in the Search for Dog Domestication: The Case of Coímbre Cave |
| title_fullStr | Uncovering Human Tooth Marks in the Search for Dog Domestication: The Case of Coímbre Cave |
| title_full_unstemmed | Uncovering Human Tooth Marks in the Search for Dog Domestication: The Case of Coímbre Cave |
| title_short | Uncovering Human Tooth Marks in the Search for Dog Domestication: The Case of Coímbre Cave |
| title_sort | uncovering human tooth marks in the search for dog domestication the case of coimbre cave |
| topic | taphonomy human tooth marks Magdalenian geometric morphometrics |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/15/9/1319 |
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